It's only half past the point of no return
by MoreThanTonight
Summary: A fluffy coffee shop AU where Percy is a barista and Nico is sleep deprived. Percy wants to figure out what Nico's favourite coffee is. Nico just wants caffeine. They both want to kiss each other.


The first time Nico came into the coffee shop with the annoying bell on the door jingling after him, Percy almost didn't notice him. It was during the lunch rush where he was simultaneously trying to brew a macchiato, put three cupcakes into a box, and mentally calculate how much change he was supposed to return for a hundred dollar bill. Who on earth paid for a simple coffee with a hundred dollar bill anyway?

Annabeth was the one who served him, since Percy was neck deep in coffee beans and sweat. But Percy vaguely registered the pale boy with dark hair. The only thing that stuck with him was the band t-shirt the boy was wearing that had a yellow Nirvana smiley. The rest of the day Percy was humming Come As You Are to himself.

The next time Nico came into the coffee shop Percy was almost alone, save for Rachel who was darting in and out of the kitchen, trying to stock up on blueberry muffins. The place was pretty empty and Percy almost wished the lunch rush would come back. Feeling the stress of having too many customers was still better than wiping the spotless counter for the millionth time, just to have something to do. He had never been good with having nothing to do.

So when the bell chimed, signaling the arrival of a new costumer, Percy all but jumped up of the stool he was sitting on. The dark-haired boy seemed vaguely familiar and it took him a few seconds to realize that he was the boy with the Nirvana t-shirt. The boy looked tired, with dark bags under his eyes, like he hadn't had a wink of sleep in a whole week. His skin was stretched tight over his cheeks, making Percy want to pellet cupcakes his way until the sugar cheered him up. This time he was wearing a black t-shirt with a minimalistic print of a white heart shaped box. Which Percy assumed was a tribute to the Nirvana song of the same name. Great, now he was going to have that song stuck in his mind for the rest of the day.

"You look like you could need a coffee," Percy said with the aftermath of a slight wince when he realized how harsh it sounded. He was standing ready at the counter even though Nico kept his distance, hovering a few feet away while he studied the chalkboard over Percy's head that advertised their special offers.

"Thanks," the boy muttered in a rough voice, his eyebrows twitching like he was trying not to roll his eyes.

In retrospect, maybe it wasn't the best idea of Percy to comment on the zombie-like qualities of the boy. But he was being honest. The boy looked like he needed a pillow more than a coffee and for a brief second Percy wondered if it was illegal for him to refuse to give him any more caffeine.

"I have just the thing for you," Percy claimed and spun around, grabbing a packet of herbal tea.

Nico looked at him with an eyebrow raised. His lips were drawn tightly, reflecting a look of complete boredom.

"It's a really nice blend with lots of chamomile and a bit of lavender fragrance. It's caffeine free so it is really great before you go to bed or… take a nap," Percy said, trying to be convincing. He was supposed to be a salesperson, goddammit. He could sell a nice cup of herbal tea to this poor boy.

"It's the middle of the day and no one has time for a nap," Nico replied, but Percy noticed that the corner of his lips twitched upwards, like he was fighting a smile. "I'll just have a coffee, thank you."

"Are you sure?" Percy dragged it out, his fingers drumming restlessly against the counter. He really wasn't made for working the boring shifts. When he got bored, he did stupid things. Like this.

"Let me guess your favorite type of coffee," Percy blurted out. If this was his only source of entertainment – guessing what type of coffee moody teenagers liked – he needed a better job.

Nico looked at Percy warily, but nodded. His eyes were wandering between the specialities board and Percy's eager face. "You think you're so good that you can guess what I like?"

If there was something Percy liked better than having a busy job, it was a proper challenge. "Of course," he claimed, rubbing his hands together. His eyes trailed up and down Nico's slender frame, trying to size him up. It was absolutely necessary for his professional opinion on the boy's taste in coffee.

He took in Nico's black clothes, complete with black boots and skinny jeans that had holes at his knees. He looked like he liked things straightforward with no bullshit. But his slightly curly, shaggy hair that framed his pale face and the ink stains on his fingers made Percy believe that maybe he was artistic. A dark artist soul, perhaps.

"Cappuccino," Percy said after a while, realizing that guessing the boy's favorite coffee might be a harder task than he first assumed it was. "Everyone likes a good cappuccino."

Nico shook his head and came a little closer. Although his steps were wary, as though he was trying to put some space between them. Apparently the massive wooden counter wasn't enough space. "Wrong answer. I just want a plain black coffee."

Percy gaped at him like Nico had just sucked all the entertainment out of his life. Which he had, if he was being honest. "You can't just tell me the answer!" he claimed, crossing his arms over his chest. "This was a guessing game and I get three strikes. Besides, plain coffee is no one's favorite. It just is. It is convenient. It is nice, but it is not your favorite."

Nico glanced at the watch on his wrist, like he really didn't have time for this. But he didn't walk away. "It is my favorite. Just plain, black coffee. Espresso in the morning and plain coffee throughout the day," he argued. Percy saw a flash of something in his eyes. Annoyance? Amusement? It wasn't easy to tell, not when the boy's eyes were so dark.

"Why?" Percy asked.

"What do you mean _why_? I just like it black. Black like my soul."

And god, that line was so stupid that Percy couldn't help but snort. It was probably a violation of the contract he signed to always be respectful towards customers, but was this boy for real? "Alright mate, it's time to tone down the screamo and embrace the finer points of a properly brewed coffee."

Nico looked like was about to argue, but Percy waved him away. "I'm going to make you something and you are going to love it," he said confidently. Before Nico could stop him, Percy had already started brewing it. All Nico could do was to tap his foot impatiently and wait for him to be done.

"Here," Percy put a cardboard cup of coffee on the counter, smiling proudly like he was presenting his firstborn child. "A caramel macchiato. A little sweet, a little bitter. Just like you," he said without thinking and pushed the coffee towards him.

Nico's eyes flickered down to the cup of coffee like he didn't trust it. Like he didn't trust Percy's words at all. Suddenly his phone started ringing and he let out a tired groan and grabbed the coffee. "There better be a lot of caffeine in this," he muttered and slammed a ten-dollar bill on the counter before he picked up his phone. The last thing Percy heard before Nico was out the door was, "Yes, this is Pluto's Grave Services. How can I help you?" And Nico's voice didn't sound like he wanted to help at all.

The next time Percy saw Nico, it was almost at the exact same time three days later. He almost made a stupid comment about the 'three day rule', but bit his tongue at the last moment. Nico was clutching his phone like he expected it to ring any moment. It was the reflexive kind of move. Percy assumed that he always had his phone on. He probably went to sleep with his phone next to his pillow too. If he ever slept.

"Another caramel macchiato, then?" Percy asked with a smug smile, confident that the boy had liked his last concoction.

"God no. It was way too sweet. Just a double espresso, please," he shook his head. This time he was standing by the counter instead of hovering several feet away.

Percy bit his bottom lip and shook his head. "I have just the thing for you." When he turned his back, he pretended not to hear Nico's exasperated sigh.

"A simple cortado. Espresso with steamed milk," Percy said as he slid the coffee cup towards Nico.

"What if I were lactose intolerant?" Nico challenged him as he fished money out of his tight jeans. If Percy's eyes followed his hands down to his crotch, he would never admit it out loud.

"Then you would have said so when I gave you the macchiato," he replied with a smirk.

Nico took a sip of the hot coffee and bit his bottom lip like he had burned himself by being too hasty. But the eager look on Percy's face told him that the barista wanted an answer right away.

"It's okay," Nico admitted reluctantly, but Percy's smile slid off his face. He wanted more than just _okay_. He wanted amazing. He wanted mind-blowing. He wanted to knock Nico off his feet and make the boy admit that his coffee and people skills were far superior.

He wanted to put a pillow under the tired boy's head and make sure that he got at least eight hours of proper sleep. But mostly, he wanted to kiss him and make him smile. Which was rather ridiculous considering that he didn't even know his name.

"Okay?" Percy asked incredulously. "Just okay?"

But Nico's phone rang once again, and he realized that the ringtone was Highway to Hell by AC/DC. Wasn't that a charming ringtone to have when you worked at a grave service?

Before Percy could react, Nico was already on the way out and it seemed like he had forgotten to pay for the coffee. Well, that was just plain rude. With a sigh, Percy looked into the little barista book they had behind the counter with over a hundred coffee recipes. Surely he could find something that Nico would like.

It was only when Percy brought the book with him at the end of his shift that he realized how much he had been thinking about the dark-haired boy. It was a challenge. He wanted to impress him. He wanted to prove his point. When he was still checking out coffee recipes at two am, he realized that he was obsessed.

The next day Percy was caught off guard when Nico came into the coffee shop again, but this time he was having an animated conversation on the phone and just waved at Percy, mouthing, "Make whatever you want."

He looked grim and the bags under his eyes were darker, heavier somehow. Percy wondered if he hadn't been the only one who was awake at 2 am last night. While Percy made his drink, he couldn't help but overhear that Nico was probably talking to his boss – if the conversation about Nico's massive workload was anything to go by.

He presented a frothy frappuccino with a pile of whipped cream and swirls of chocolate, figuring that the boy looked like he could use a pick me up. He hoped the boy would stay, but Nico took the cup and bolted out of the door. At least this time he remembered to pay.

Percy swore he could see a smile on Nico's face when he read the words he had written on his cup. "Sleep!"

Percy Jackson was a man on a mission. He was going to get Nico to sit down and drink his coffee like a normal person. And if he had to throw his phone in the sink, he would do it without batting an eyelash. Well, that was probably a little drastic. But he was going to make him like his coffee. Over the next weeks, he saw Nico exactly six times and all of them ended up with the boy claiming that something was wrong with the coffee. It was either too sweet or too frothy. Too much milk or too much added flavor. He wanted to chuck something at Nico. At the same time he wanted to kiss him until he was breathless.

So the next time he saw Nico, he prepared him a Red Tie in a porcelain cup that he couldn't take with him.

"You look a little better," Percy commented, leaning on the counter. The bags under Nico's eyes were less visible and he didn't look like he was about to collapse any moment. He still looked like he needed someone to wrap him up in a warm blanket and let him sleep. Percy desperately wanted to be that guy.

"Yeah," Nico admitted, standing awkwardly at the counter with his pale hands wrapped around the cup for warmth. "My boss forced me to take a few days off."

Percy grinned at him. "Isn't that good?" he asked. "You look less zombie-like and more like… well… a human." He never said that he was good with words.

Nico cracked a tiny smile and sipped his drink. "What is this?" he asked curiously. "It's not half bad. Still a bit sweet, though."

"It's thai iced tea, orange blossom water, star anise, crushed tamarind, sugar and condensed milk, with a shot of espresso," Percy said in a single breath and just as he said it, he realized how insane he sounded. He had literally taught himself to make a complicated beverage to a guy who just liked a plain coffee, just in hopes to impress him.

"Sounds like a mouthful," Nico said and tried at a smile. An actual, corporeal smile.

"You better appreciate it. I had to get tamarind in just for that drink," Percy murmured, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

For the first time, Nico seemed to lower his guard a bit. He leaned towards Percy with the same smile on his lips. "Do you do that for every person to comes into this shop? You must be one hell of a dedicated barista."

"Only for the cute ones," Percy replied, licking his lips slowly. He told Nico he found him cute the first day he met him so it wasn't as scary to admit it this time. But the other boy had run away the last time, clutching his phone like it was his lifeline.

"You find me cute?" Nico asked, a little startled.

Percy just nodded dumbly and started fidgeting with a plastic stirrer.

"Nico," the boy said after a while.

"What?" Percy asked, trying not to look as confused as he felt.

"My name. It's Nico." But he said it in a way, leaned forward and his voice low, like it was a secret he wanted Percy to take with him to the grave.

"Nico," Percy repeated before he realized that he was supposed to reply with his own name instead. That was what people did. Normal, functioning people. People who hadn't stayed up half the night trying to find a drink that would impress the boy who came to his coffee shop.

"Your name is Nico too?" Nico asked, but the smirk on his lips revealed that he was trying to joke.

"Percy! No, my name is Percy. Percy Jackson," he said quickly, his cheeks turning red.

"And you thought I needed to hear that three times just in case I was confused?" Nico laughed, shaking his head. He drained his coffee in one go and wrote something on a piece of paper.

Percy looked down to find a phone number. When he looked up again, he saw Nico's frame walking out the door.

Percy was not doing this. He refused to be a passive moron who stared at a number for hours, conflicted whether he should call or not. But there he was, sprawled out on his couch with the piece of paper in his hand. He had typed the number several times, his thumb hovering over the call button before he pressed cancel.

Thinking about how snippy Nico sounded on the phone, he decided to text instead. Or maybe it was just an excuse to not have to talk to him on the phone. At least when he texted, he had the chance to think about his words. But on the other hand, he didn't want his dyslexia to stand in the way. The last thing he needed right now was to misread or misspell a word so badly that it ended up meaning something completely else. At the end of the day Percy fell asleep on the couch.

"You didn't call," Nico accused when he walked into the coffee shop four days later. He was fidgeting with his aviator jacket pocket, as though he just wanted to take his phone and play with it instead of confronting Percy. He had gone back to being sleep-deprived and tired, Percy noted with a sigh.

"I…uh.." Percy mumbled. "I didn't know what to say."

"You could have asked me out," Nico replied, his voice lowering, as though he was afraid that someone would overhear them. But he didn't look like he was afraid that people would judge him. It looked more like a polite gesture in case Percy didn't want to be outed.

"Is that what you want?" Percy asked a little nervously.

"What do _you _want?" Nico countered, arching an eyebrow.

"We're not in middle school. We can't do the whole 'you first, no you first' thing anymore," Percy snorted, shaking his head.

"Yes," Nico replied without skipping a beat. "I wanted that. I want that," he corrected himself.

Percy had to take a deep breath not to get overwhelmed. He was pretty sure his heart was beating so fast that he was going to have a heart attack and his palms were sweating like he had just ran a marathon. "Okay," he agreed with a short nod.

"Okay?" Nico asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, I'm taking you out," Percy nodded, feeling more confident. How could he not? This weird boy wanted to go out with him and Percy wanted to kiss him. So it matched up.

"Okay," Nico breathed, nodding to himself as though he couldn't really believe that it worked. "Does this mean that you're giving up on guessing my favorite coffee?" he asked.

Percy frowned at him. He didn't want to give up, but he was out of ideas. His far-fetched orange blossom water, tea and coffee mix had been him clutching at straws, desperately trying to find something to impress him. "I'm stumped. I have no idea what you like," he finally admitted.

Nico leaned even closer like he wanted to tell him a secret and Percy did the same out by instinct. Nico's lips were merely inches away from Percy's when he said, "I liked everything you made. I just wanted a reason to come back. You are very cute when you're flustered," he whispered and pressed their lips together.

Percy had no idea how he got his brain to work fast enough to react to the soft peck, but somehow he managed to kiss him back. It was soft, it was hesitant and way too brief. But when he pulled away, he couldn't stop grinning.

Of course, he should have known that this moment was too good to last. Nico's phone started ringing and the dark-haired boy grimaced. "Tomorrow at seven. I'll meet you here," he said hastily before taking the call, already on his way out.

If Percy was too dazed to make a proper cappuccino for the next customer, he couldn't be blamed.

**AN:**

Welp, this was my first Percico fic.  
I might write more in the same 'verse with their date and when Percy FINALLY gets Nico to sleep a bit (and the morning after). Also, this is my tumblr. I'm relatively new to the fandom, so come talk to me! :)

Please leave a comment if you want something to be added in the next part.


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